Latest News

TERRY KOSHAN, QMI Agency

Sep 7, 2010

, Last Updated: 7:42 PM ET

Confusing messages from officials in the Canadian Football League?

Argonauts head coach Jim Barker wishes it was not true. Barker was steamed during the Labour Day Classic loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Monday after Dave Stala and several of his teammates tried but failed to pull off a unique celebration following a Stala touchdown.

During a game against the Montreal Alouettes on Aug. 14, the Argos were penalized for excessively celebrating after a Chad Owens touchdown. Owens and other Argos sat in the end zone, pretending to row a boat.

But there was no penalty on Monday when Stala and some teammates set up on a point-after attempt -- that is, Stala was going to kick the ball back through the uprights after the major. But when the snap went off Marquay McDaniel's helmet, the celebration plans went awry.

Barker was mad because there was no flag on Stala and Co., when Owens and his pals got one weeks earlier.

"What I was told in the Montreal game was that anything organized was excessive," Barker said. "Well, that was definitely organized, their little reverse point-after deal.

"If we were penalized three weeks ago, why weren't they penalized? And the official told me that there was a memo sent out to all of the officials that the wrong call was made back then. Nobody ever told us. Nobody from the league office told me that what you did was all right, and we really should not have penalized you, sorry. Usually, I get that. I did not get that on this one. Hopefully it gets rectified."